The present invention generally relates to sports training aids, and more particularly, to a visual aid focus device.
In some sports, an athlete's performance is dependent partially on focus and the ability to concentrate on the action being performed. The better one can maintain focus on a particular action or movement, the higher the likelihood, the athlete will succeed at it. Indeed, some athlete's and coaches preach being able to mentally block out everything but the goal at hand. For example, a baseball or softball player may spend countless hours swinging a round bat trying to hit a moving round ball hurled speeding at them; what some consider the most difficult feat in sports.
One of the obstacles that inhibits an athlete's success in an action is the distractions within a surrounding environment. For example, a common distraction in sports is a surrounding crowd attending the game or match. A crowd sitting in stands may actively attempt to distract an athlete by waving arms, towels, etc. in an attempt to momentarily catch the athlete's eye and distract him from an impending action (for example, hitting a pitch or shooting a basketball). The crowd or even other players may passively also serve as a distraction engaging in routine movement which is picked up by the athlete's field of view (for example, fans walking about, player's moving into position on a baseball diamond). The athlete's brain may subconsciously register this movement thus, distributing focus or concentration away from the task at hand. As can be seen, there is a need for device that can block distractions from the peripheral vision of an athlete.